According to Tie Niu, Qing Chen learned that in order to stabilize the situation in Beiman Mountain, Diao Ye had to outwardly feign revenge.
He ordered the kidnapping of the city lord's youngest son, Young Master Zhao, as leverage to intimidate the restless bandits.
However, he privately hinted to his trusted subordinates not to act rashly,
lest he truly anger the city lord of Jin City and bring unnecessary trouble upon himself.
Unfortunately, Diao Ye's plan was too ambitious.
He never expected that the former leader's confidants,
those bandits who didn't always obey his orders, would bypass his surveillance and kidnap Young Master Zhao without authorization!
This action undoubtedly tarnished Diao Ye's reputation.
This put Diao Ye in an unprecedentedly awkward situation.
He originally wanted to use this opportunity to solidify his position, but unexpectedly, it almost ruined his future and his life.
Therefore, he had to hurriedly send someone to conspire with the city lord, hoping to find a solution that would benefit both sides.
During this bandit suppression operation in Jin City, Diao Ye transferred all the disobedient bandits to dangerous locations to guard the mountain gates.
In reality, Diao Ye planned to eliminate those disobedient bandits.
In this way, the Jin City lord could gain military merit in the bandit suppression, enhancing his prestige and status;
he could also rescue his son, preserve his family's reputation, and secretly subdue the considerable power of Beiman Mountain.
This was killing three birds with one stone, and the city lord was naturally delighted.
For Diao Ye, this operation was also a golden opportunity to escape his predicament.
This Jin City lord was a powerful figure with considerable military strength.
The city lord promised that after the success, he could be promoted to the position of a fifth-rank brave captain.
This was undoubtedly great news for Diao Ye.
From then on, he could clear his name and transform himself into an official of the Jing Kingdom's court.
He was stationed at Beiman Mountain, becoming a veritable 'mountain king'.
A fifth-rank Guogan Colonel—this was already a considerable rank in the Jing Kingdom's military system.
It's worth noting that in this vanguard army, the Tiger-like Colonel, Lord Wang, was only a fifth-rank official.
According to the Jing Kingdom's military rank system, a ninth-rank officer was a squad leader, a small team of fifty men, with his deputy being a ninth-rank officer;
An eighth-rank officer was a centurion, commanding a hundred or so men;
A seventh-rank officer was a Sima, barely considered a mid-level general, commanding several hundred men.
An untitled colonel was a sixth-rank officer, already a considerable position, commanding over a thousand soldiers;
While those with titles, such as the Guogan Colonel, were fifth-rank officers, barely considered high-ranking generals, capable of commanding several thousand soldiers.
Above that, the fourth rank is that of a military commander, and the fourth rank is that of a lieutenant general, commanding tens of thousands of troops—the true high command of the military.
The third rank is that of a military governor, also known as a military marquis.
For example, the lord of Jincheng is a third-rank military governor, stationed in Jincheng, with the title of General Who Guards the Border, wielding immense power and influence.
The second rank is that of a Grand Marshal of the Army, held by members of the Jing Kingdom's royal family.
As for the first rank, it's a nominal position, usually a posthumous title, given to deceased officials who made great contributions.
Therefore, Master Diao was naturally extremely concerned about Young Master Zhao's safety.
He dispatched his trusted confidant, Tie Niu, to guard Young Master Zhao in the absolutely safe back mountains, awaiting the opportune moment.
Qing Chen, having processed this information, felt a headache coming on.
The lives of thousands were merely pawns on a chessboard in the eyes of those in power.
They could be sacrificed and discarded at any time.
This cold-blooded ruthlessness sent a chill down Qing Chen's spine.
Compared to them, Qing Chen might be considered a 'good person'.
However, he also knew that these matters didn't actually concern him much.
The key point was that if this war was fought this way, it wouldn't be nearly as brutal.
With the main forces on both sides not even engaging, how could Qing Chen infiltrate the council hall of Beiman Mountain?
Qing Chen knew that what he was looking for was hidden in that hall, something that could change his life!
And the position of the leader was actually a trap.
This secret was revealed by the severely wounded wandering swordsman; perhaps he was the former leader's confidant.
Simply press the claw of the Northern Mang Eagle painting on the hall wall, rotating it according to a specific pattern.
The chairs in the hall will spring up, revealing a secret chamber inside.
Suddenly, Qingchen seemed to realize he had forgotten something, turning to look at the thatched hut.
He quickly summoned two of his soldiers.
He pointed to the two bandits bound like dumplings, his eyes revealing an unwavering resolve.
Qingchen had indeed said he wouldn't kill them, but if his men did, it was none of his business.
The soldiers exchanged glances, understanding Qingchen's meaning.
As they drew their swords, the scabbards scraped against the stone surface with a "whoosh."
Jiang San tried to shout, but the moment he opened his mouth, the blade sliced across his neck; blood spurted out, splattering onto the withered grass roots, quickly seeping in.
Tie Niu, surprisingly, remained silent, his eyes wide with shock, until his neck was slashed open, at which point he collapsed heavily to the ground.
The soldiers dragged the two corpses to the north cliff like dead dogs and threw them overboard.
A muffled thud followed by the cracking sound of bones breaking echoed twice through the valley before subsiding.
Qing Chen didn't look; he turned and walked towards the thatched hut.
The thatched roof had a hole in it, and several yellowish stains covered the ground. The stench of mustiness mixed with the foul smell of mold was overwhelming.
Young Master Zhao huddled in the corner, his hair matted and a bloody gash running from his forehead to his chin.
His clothes were torn to shreds, his exposed arms bruised and battered, and he kept muttering:
"Don't kill me, don't kill me! My father is Zhao Erhe, a high-ranking official, his family will be nobles for generations!"
Qing Chen crouched down, lifting Young Master Zhao's chin with his finger, his tone playful:
"Young Master Zhao, you certainly have a short memory. I'm not a bandit, I'm the thug you met at the brothel that day.
I even helped you stop that fleeing female bandit, and now I'm a centurion in the vanguard of the city lord's army to suppress the Northern Mang Mountains."
Young Master Zhao looked up, his eyes glazed, staring at Qing Chen for a long time, then suddenly recoiled as if pricked by a needle.
But when he saw Qing Chen's face clearly, he lunged forward again, his hands gripping Qing Chen's sleeves like iron clamps:
"Save me! Save me! I'll give you an official position, money, anything! Just get me out of here, I'll give you anything!"
Looking at him like this, Qingchen suddenly felt a surge of pleasure.
Just a few months ago in the brothel, this Young Master Zhao had been so powerful, but now he was begging him like a stray dog.
This feeling of controlling the fate of someone who was originally of higher birth and status than himself filled Qingchen with immense excite